Over the past week there have been some interesting articles about our brothers and sisters overseas (with one exception). I have posted a brief summary of each of the four stories with links for more information.
Enjoy. 
By Will Rasmussen (Reuters, May 28, 2008)
Monks at St. Anthony’s Monastery in Egypt (perhaps the oldest active Christian monastery in the world) are now using cell phones and emails to conduct guided tours of the “compound’s 15th century church, which is built above the oldest monk cells ever discovered, dating from the fourth century…”
They even run their own website.
Of course, not all the Egyptian Coptic monks at St. Anthony are into the modern technology. These “classic” monks disappear into the mountains around the monastery during the daylight hours – returning only when the last tourist is gone. Read more here.
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Keeping with the modern monk theme – some monks of the Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of Spring Bank in Sparta, WI have created an online shopping site. Their site includes but is not limited to:
- Inkjet cartridges
- Laser Toners
- Fax supplies,
- Office supplies
- Items made by the monks and nuns
This $4.5 million dollar business supports the abbey as well as several other projects around the world. Read more here.
“Vatican Says It Will Excommunicate Women Priests”
By Phil Stewart (Reuters, May 29, 2008)
In a response to a few Roman Catholic bishops, the Vatican has released a decree that they will excommunicate any women priests and the bishops who ordained them. While this is keeping with the Vatican’s line, I (Ardell) feel that it’s a mistake to limit God to only working with men. I was hopeful that Rome would change it’s course as I’ve heard that there had been some women ordained. It looks like that is not to be… sigh 
Read more here
“Algerian Christian converts fined”
Four Algerian Christians have been jailed and fined for worshipping illegally. In Algeria, it is illegal to hold or perform non-Islamic religious worship outside of state approved buildings. These four Christians where for breaking that law…
It is interesting to note that all four believers are Algerians who converted to Christianity… in other words, they are not foreigners. Well, at least I thought that was interesting… Read more here